Gandhiji
loved to experiment with nutrition since his childhood. He did a lot of experiments on himself during his lifetime and had risked his life doing so.
The
biggest of his experiments was about milk. He considered using animal milk as
unreligious and violent. He thought that God has provided that milk for their
little ones, which we take forcibly. This should be considered the biggest sin
of all. He thought that it was a non-vegetarian nutrition. When this thought
became firm in his mind he decided to give up using milk. He did not take milk
for so many years. Once he became seriously ill and the doctors said that he had
no choice but to take milk if he had to get better. At last, at Ba's insistence
he started taking goat's milk.
After
this self-experience Gandhiji accepted the fact that human beings cannot do
without animal milk. He wished that someday a scientist would try hard to evolve
some nutritious thing from plants which would be as good as milk. It would be a
boon to the humankind.
He did
the same experiment with salt too. Later he came to realise that it was a
necessary element in our meals. He then started using it.
Gandhiji
believed that vegetables and fruits are meant to be the real nutrition for human
beings. The structure of the human body, the shape of hands and feet, the teeth
and the stomach, all are made for vegetarian food only. The monkeys are nearest
animals to the human beings. Their eating habits also emphasise this belief.
But how
could the poor countrymen get fruits in those critical days? So Gandhiji tried
to find the cheapest substitutes for fruits and they were peanuts, dates and
bananas. Then for many years he used them mainly in his meals.
Gandhiji
even disapproved the traditional methods of cooking. He thought that there was
no need to cook food on fire. He believed that the Sun ripens the fruits and
cooking them on fire was like destroying them.
At this
stage he realised that if the grains were soaked in water it would be easy for
the womenfolk to cook them. It wood save the cost and time both. The raw
water-soaked grains have to be chewed properly and can be consumed in less
quantity than the cooked food. It could save a lot for this poor country.
People
polish the rice to make it white and become happy. They also remove the husk
from the wheat to make fine flour. Actually, the bran and the husk are most
nutritious. Throwing it away is like throwing mango pulp and eating itsseed.
Gandhiji started using coarse flour when he realised it.
As the
time passed by Gandhiji's body became very thin and delicate but he did not give
up his experiments with the meals. He kept on doing small experiment.